John Galt's Blog

John Galt is not my name. That is not me in the pic. I am a frustrated American who, like the character in the Ayn Rand book, is witnessing his society crumble around him. I'm not so sure how to change things, but like John Kennedy once said: "One person can make a difference, and everyone should try"

Senate Moves to Use Military Against US Citizens

S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, will be voted on the Senate floor this week. This bill will give Obama or any future president the authority to declare America a "battlefield", thus authorizing the use of military resources against American citizens on American soil. When senators are presenting legislation that would destroy the very foundation of this once proud republic, what does that tell you about their intentions? THEY HAVE ALL SOLD THEIR SOULS FOR POWER.

This bill coincides with National Security Presidential Directive 51 signed by Bush in 2007. PDD 51 gives the executive branch exclusive control over "continuity of government", including control over federal, state, and local governments, in the wake of a "catastrophic event". In 2007, congressman Peter Defazio, who at the time served on the congressional homeland security committee and had access to such information, was denied (along with the entire committee) access to detailed continuity of government plans. You can read more about that here:

The government knows the people are waking up in large numbers to their tyranny, and they are trying to institutionalize their oppression. Its time to look past marginalizing fringe political issues and look at the real power structure. Wake up, people. Time is running out.

While nearly all Americans head to family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, the Senate is gearing up for a vote on Monday or Tuesday that goes to the very heart of who we are as Americans. The Senate will be voting on a bill that will direct American military resources not at an enemy shooting at our military in a war zone, but at American citizens and other civilians far from any battlefield — even people in the United States itself.

Senators need to hear from you, on whether you think your front yard is part of a “battlefield” and if any president can send the military anywhere in the world to imprison civilians without charge or trial.

The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. Even Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) raised his concerns about the NDAA detention provisions during last night’s Republican debate. The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself.

I know it sounds incredible. New powers to use the military worldwide, even within the United States? Hasn’t anyone told the Senate that Osama bin Laden is dead, that the president is pulling all of the combat troops out of Iraq and trying to figure out how to get combat troops out of Afghanistan too? And American citizens and people picked up on American or Canadian or British streets being sent to military prisons indefinitely without even being charged with a crime. Really? Does anyone think this is a good idea? And why now?

The answer on why now is nothing more than election season politics. The White House, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General have all said that the indefinite detention provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act are harmful and counterproductive. The White House has even threatened a veto. But Senate politics has propelled this bad legislation to the Senate floor.

But there is a way to stop this dangerous legislation. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) is offering the Udall Amendment that will delete the harmful provisions and replace them with a requirement for an orderly Congressional review of detention power. The Udall Amendment will make sure that the bill matches up with American values.

In support of this harmful bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) explained that the bill will “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield” and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial “American citizen or not.” Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) also declared that the bill is needed because “America is part of the battlefield.”

The solution is the Udall Amendment; a way for the Senate to say no to indefinite detention without charge or trial anywhere in the world where any president decides to use the military. Instead of simply going along with a bill that was drafted in secret and is being jammed through the Senate, the Udall Amendment deletes the provisions and sets up an orderly review of detention power. It tries to take the politics out and put American values back in.

In response to proponents of the indefinite detention legislation who contend that the bill “applies to American citizens and designates the world as the battlefield,” and that the “heart of the issue is whether or not the United States is part of the battlefield,” Sen. Udall disagrees, and says that we can win this fight without worldwide war and worldwide indefinite detention.

The senators pushing the indefinite detention proposal have made their goals very clear that they want an okay for a worldwide military battlefield, that even extends to your hometown. That is an extreme position that will forever change our country.

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We may soon find out just how thoroughly they've managed to indoctrinate the police and military. I suspect, and hope, that those in power may be in for a surprise; if not then this will get much worse before it gets better.